BEA'S BOOK NOOK
"I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis
“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Willa Davis is wrangling puppies when Keane Winters stalks into her pet shop with frustration in his chocolate-brown eyes and a pink bedazzled cat carrier in his hand. He needs a kitty sitter, stat. But the last thing Willa needs is to rescue a guy who doesn’t even remember her ...

He’ll get nothing but coal in his stocking.

Saddled with his great-aunt’s Feline from Hell, Keane is desperate to leave her in someone else’s capable hands. But in spite of the fact that he’s sure he’s never seen the drop-dead-gorgeous pet shop owner before, she seems to be mad at him ...

Unless he tempers “naughty” with a special kind of nice ...

Willa can’t deny that Keane’s changed since high school: he’s less arrogant, for one thing—but can she trust him not to break her heart again? It’s time to throw a coin in the fountain, make a Christmas wish—and let the mistletoe do its work.

My Thoughts:

I'm still new to Shalvis's works and the first book in this series, "Sweet Little Lies" didn't wow me. I enjoyed the cast of characters though and their relationships with each other so I requested this book. And with this book, Ms. Shalvis has got me. I enjoyed this one very much and I immediately requested the next book. :D This time around I not only enjoyed the cast but the main couple and their romance. I so wanted it to work out, wanted that happy ending, and I am so glad they got it.

Willa and Keane have history and it's not a happy one. but Bnce they talk it over, they get past it and are able to forge a new relationship. It's a second chance romance and they deserved a second chance. They're good for each other and to each other. They understand each other better than they think even if they don't always clearly understand themselves. Watching them come to realize that they are stronger and more capable and more able to be vulnerable and love than they thought was sweet and hopeful. They helped each other and are good for each other. It was a romance that had me rooting for both of them and wanting to smack them when they screwed up.

There's humor too, especially around Pita AKA Petunia, a cat who belongs to Keane's aunt but he's caring for her when his aunt can't. Keane is so absolutely clueless about cats but he tries so hard to do right by her and be a good cat slave. Add in the strong and delightful cast of characters, strong emotions, a little bit of family drama, and hints of secrets that I hope will be revealed in successive books, and "The Trouble with Mistletoe" was a delightful early holiday present. I'm ready to dive into book three, "Accidentally on Purpose", Elle and Archer's story.

One small thing I had trouble with and that shows what a geek I can be: Every time I type the book title, I have to make a conscious effort not to type it as "The Trouble with Tribbles". :D What can I say, I'm a log time Trek fan. I was into Trek long before I was into romance.

EXCERPT

She watched Keane take in the two newest Christmas trees, one in front of O’Riley’s Pub, the other in front of Reclaimed Woods, both decorated in simple red and gold balls. The only sound around them was the soft trickle of the water flowing from the fountain and some lovelorn crickets mourning the dawn’s lack of warmth.

“Legend states that if you make a wish with a true heart, true love will find you,” she said.

He met her gaze. “Legend also states that if you put your tooth under your pillow the Tooth Fairy will leave you cash.”

She slowed, as always the fountain calling to her to make a wish. Keane slowed too, looking at her with a question.

She searched her pockets for change, but could only come up with a dog treat. “Damn.” It was the swear jar’s fault, all her spare change always ended up in there.

“What?”

“I wanted to make a wish,” she said.

A small smile crossed his face. “You want to make a wish? You’ve lived here for how long and you’ve never made one?”

“Oh, I have.” She paused. “I like to.”

This garnered her a raised brow. “How many times have you wished?”

She bit her lower lip.

“More than once?”

Well, crap. How had they gotten on this subject? “Um…”

“More than…five?”

“Gee, would you look at the time?” she asked and tried to go but he caught her and brought her back around, his smile now a broad grin.

“Fine,” she said. “If you must know, I toss a coin in every time I walk by.”

He lost the battle with his laughter and she stared at him. Seriously, he had the best laugh. “It worked for Pru, I’ll have you know,” she told him. “She wished for true love to find Finn, and then he fell in love with her.”

And Willa had been wishing ever since, even knowing how ridiculous and silly it was.

“So…you’ve been wishing for true love for who exactly?” he asked.

She stared at him in dismay. How had she not thought this through? “Me,” she admitted, slapping her pockets because surely she had even a penny. “But I intend to fix that right now. I’ll just wish for love for someone else.”

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button below for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Health Note

I've got a shoulder injury, the exact nature of which my doctor is still determining. But it's affecting my ability to type. So posts will be delayed, and comments on other blogs, as well as my own, are on hiatus until typing is less painful or not painful at all.

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